Page 65 of Omen of ice
The kelpie scowls. “The chest itself may belong to those vile trolls, but the item inside belongs to me. If I reacquire it, I will be able to leave the lake.”
“Why would you want to cross the bridge with us? Couldn’t you simply cross on your own?”
The kelpie shrugs. “Would you believe I’m simply trying to get out of paying a toll?”
“No,” Tania and I say at the same time.
“If you must know, the trolls and I have a long-standing grudge.”
“Is that why you stole their chest?” Tania tenses. She doesn’t trust the creature, but the unmistakable tint of compassion thrums through our link.
Daroose bristles, losing the facade of patience. “Do we have an accord or not?”
Tania frowns. “If what’s inside belongs to you, why not just take it?”
“He can’t.” It isn’t the look of fury on the kelpie’s human face that gives it away but the fact that something important is missing. “Every kelpie has a necklace, inherited from their mother. So long as the kelpie wears it, they are free to do as they please. But if someone were to take it…”
“I have been bound to this lake for a very long time,” it says between clenched teeth. “Six hundred years ago, I bargained with a particularly nasty Fae. His life in exchange for stealing my necklace back from those filthy trolls. Unfortunately, the Fae double-crossed me. He returned the necklace within the box. Since the box belonged to the trolls…”
“You can’t open it,” Tania says. “That’s horrible.” There’s still skepticism in her voice, but there’s empathy as well. Clearly, shedoesn’tknow anything about kelpies.
“Don’t pity the creature.” I lean against the tree growing closest to the shore. The lake is serene. The perfect mask to hide the horror that lives beneath the water. “In its long life, the kelpie has surely devoured unfathomable numbers of both human and Fae.”
“That’s true.” There’s no shame in its voice. With bared teeth just a touch too pointy to be human, it says, “But as I’m sure you know, little Fae, kelpies only devour the wicked. If someone was lured to my lake, they deserved every chomp they received.”
“We have a deal,” Tania says before I can respond. I glare at her, but she ignores me.
The kelpie smiles and walks to the edge of the water, extending its hand to her. “I believe this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”
She shakes on it. The deal is done. There’s no turning back from this shit show now.
21
Keltania
Daroose disappears beneath the water and returns surprisingly fast, a small golden chest in his hand. I expected a fight, but I open the box easily, allowing him to retrieve a silver necklace bejeweled with gems of black and green. He wastes no time fastening it around his neck and ushering us into motion.
On the way back to the bridge, Valen takes the lead, all the while sneaking glances back at Daroose and me. Maybe he thinks the kelpie will betray us somehow. Anything is possible—which is why I make sure to bring up the rear, effectively keeping an eye on both of them.
Above us, a large crow circles, letting out a shrill cry. I reach out to it, hoping that, like the bunny, I might be able to talk to it. I still haven’t been able to shake the feeling of euphoria that came from touching something my ancestors did. Unfortunately, I get nothing but silence, and the bird eventually flies away.
“How many of you are left?” I’ve been filling in some of the time Daroose lost in the lake. The destruction of Fae magic, the loss of druid power, and the dissolution of the courts. He’s full of questions, and it fills the uncomfortable silence. Valen doesn’t trust our new companion, but I intend to reserve judgment.
“As far as I know, there’s only one druid village left, as well as my Order. Fedavar still stands on the edge of Lunal, just south of the Order.”
“And you’re slaves? To the Fae?”
Ahead of us, Valen’s shoulders stiffen, but he doesn’t turn around.
“No.” What Valen said earlier about the inequality between us bounces around inside my head. I’ve never looked at it that way. I still don’t. But I can see how it might look to someone on the outside. And, if I’m honest with myself, I love that Valen sees it the way he does. It just proves to me that there’s more to him than he shows the world. It makes me proud to stand by his side. “We’re allies.”
“So, this Fae with the strange violet eyes, he is your ally?”
“I’m her friend,” Valen says.
Daroose snickers. He leans in close to Valen and breathes in deep. “You smell clean. That’s…unusual for a Fae. Has that much truly changed?”
Now it’s my turn to snicker. “Did Fae in the old days stink?”
